Toni Braxton Says Her Son No Longer Has Signs of Autism

Braxton’s 13-year-old son Diezel was diagnosed as autistic at three years old

Toni Braxton made a startling announcement to the world this Wednesday.

In a sit down interview with Access Hollywood’s Kit Hoover and Nina Parker, Braxton said that her son, Diezel, 13, is no longer autistic.

“My youngest son, as everyone knows, my son Diezel suffers from - or I should say suffered from autism,” she said. “He [has] no signs of autism.”

This news may come as a surprise to many who have watched Braxton advocate for autism awareness over the past decade—Diezel was diagnosed as autistic at three years old.

In 2012 Braxton was named Global Autism Ambassador for Autism Speaks, widely lauded as the largest autism advocacy group in the nation. And now the seven-time Grammy winner says she’s “one of the lucky parents” because her son “is off the spectrum.” The spectrum she referred to is a medical term used to identify a wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability for those with autism, according to the NIH.

Braxton, 48, credits her son’s ability to overcome his diagnosis to Suzanne Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks. Braxton says Wright, who died last week, gave her tips and programs that Diezel could enroll in to help him.

She now describes Diezel as a “social butterfly.”

“Our lives have changed,” she said.

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